


Spell

by yeaka



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21925534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Ignis picks up an animal buddy.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 7
Kudos: 71





	Spell

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

The Iron Giant sags back with a rumbling cry, shaking the earth as it falls. It hits the ground and dissipates in a fog of foul-smelling smoke that Ignis turns away from. But he waits until the smoke’s gone completely and he’s sure the danger’s over before he tucks his daggers back into his belt. He fidgets with his gloves and pushes his glasses higher up his nose, then straightens out his jacket, and just like that, he’s as good as new, as though an enormous daemon didn’t just force him off the road.

He turns to head back to his car, only to hear a quiet _ribbit_ from down below. Ignis glances at his left shoe, where a tiny, green frog has hopped up beside him. It blinks at him with wide, beady black eyes. There’s something strangely comforting about seeing _peaceful_ wildlife— _natural_ creatures that are _supposed_ to be there, unlike the hulking daemons that have invaded the world. Ignis pays the frog a soft, “Hello.”

It croaks back at him as though pursuing conversation, and Ignis chuckles, amused. But it’s time to retire. The night’s grown dark— _too_ dark, dangerous and eerie. At least he knows of a nearby hut not far away. The beast he’s hunting has only been spotted in daylight, so it’s time to lay low and until then.

When he reaches the glare of his headlights, he realizes the frog’s following him. Ignis wanders around to the driver’s side and climbs in, and before he can shut the door, the frog’s hopped right up onto his lap. It’s a tad damp, unpleasantly sticky through the pants of his grey suit, but it’s cute enough to forgive the unpleasant sensation. Realistically, he should shoo it out of the car. 

But he can’t begrudge a harmless pond-side creature wanting somewhere safe for the night, and it was wise to assume Ignis would be safer. Ignis still warns it, “The second you distract me, I’m pulling over.” The frog even croaks again as though it understands. 

Maybe Ignis is just too tired to think straight. He lets it stay. He pushes down the gas and pulls back onto the empty road. Out in the middle of nowhere like this, a frog really is the only company he can hope for. A hunter’s life is a lonely one. 

By the time Ignis is pulling off onto the dirt path to his hut, the frog seems to have fallen asleep in his lap, behaving perfectly well. Then Ignis turns the car off, and it perks back up, rearranging its tiny rounded fingers across his thigh. Ignis gently scoops it up, slow, steady, and careful, and the frog quietly allows him to set it down on the ground. 

He’s no longer surprised when it follows him to the front door. He lets it come inside. He can’t imagine it’ll find the hardwood floor pleasant, but it doesn’t seem to mind—it sits there faithfully like a newly acquired puppy while he drops his keys on the counter and fetches a glass of water. He’d offer it something to eat, but he doesn’t have anything suitably nutritious for a frog on hand. The hut’s fairly old and not frequently occupied, so at least there should be a good supply of bugs around for it. 

Ignis imagines he’ll take it somewhere nice and safe tomorrow. In the meantime, he dearly needs his rest. He steps out of his shoes and sheds his jacket, letting both fall to the floor because there’s no proper furniture to put it on—only a cabinet already full of scraps and a cot he plans to crash on. He starts unbuttoning his shirt before he thinks of emptying out his pockets. He aimlessly tosses his mess of potions and remedies at the pile of fabric, only to hear a loud _poof_ and see a puff of green smoke. Ignis’ head snaps to where the frog was sitting. 

Now there’s a giant beefcake standing there instead. 

Ignis blinks. The tall, tanned, incredibly muscular shirtless man smirks back at him. Ignis doesn’t even have the wherewithal to take in the man’s scars or elaborate eagle tattoo. He’s stuck on the man’s handsome face. A very _human_ face.

The man shrugs his massive shoulders and mutters, “Sorry to intrude.”

Ignis’ mouth works soundlessly. It takes him a moment to put two and two together—he asks, “You... needed a maiden’s kiss?”

“That, and you’re a pretty hot. Not that I usually follow hot guys home.”

Ignis can feel his cheeks heating. He should probably be annoyed that a stranger just used the adorable cover of a harmless animal to sit on his lap and almost watch him undress.

Then his eyes trail down the enormous, exposed abs just above a rough trail of dark hair disappearing down a deep v, and Ignis decides he’s okay with this.


End file.
